Learning to digital scrapbook can be a daunting task when you first start out AND so can photo editing. I cannot tell you how happy I was to just learn these simple skills in Photoshop Elements and what a huge difference they made in my digital scrapbooking layouts.
Lightening Photos: When your photo is underexposed, your falsh didn’t go off, or the flash was simple not enough light.
1. Open a photo in PSE.
2. Always make a copy of your original layer before modifying it. Then if you don’t like the way it’s turned out you can discard it and easily start again on another copy of the original. To create a new empty layer, click on the New Layer icon at the top left of the layers palette. A new layer will appear immediately above the layer you currently have active.
2. Go to Enhance> Adjust Lighting> Levels.
3. Your levels box will pop up. Click on the third little eyedropper all the way to the right (set white point)
4. Click on any portion of your photo that is white, or the lightest area you can find in your photo.
5. Your photo will now be brighter than the original–simple as that!
6. If you don’t like the changes to your photo you can always undo them and keep playing around with the lighting until you get the perfect look. Just press reset in the levels pop up box. You can change the lighting by clicking on different white parts of your photo with the eye dropper.
Warming Photos: Used when the flash or other lighting washed out the colors or you just want to add a little warmth to the photo.
1. Open a photo in PSE. Duplicate photo by going to Layer> Duplicate Layer> OK this will make a background copy.
2. Click on the “Create Adjustment Layer” icon that looks like a black and white circle next to the New Layer icon at the top of your Layers palette.
3. Choose “Photo Filter”
4. Be sure that you have the “Preview” option enabled by clicking the box, this will allow you to view the intensity as you increase/decrease the warmth. Change the warmth by dragging the Density slide to the left or right inside the Photo filter pop up box. You can also select the “warmth tone” by changing the color box by clicking on it. Nice colors to try when looking for warmth are yellow, orange, pinks, and reds.
5. The results: A warm sunny day! I wanted to take the cool tones and bring some warmth into the photo. It was a really warm day, but my camera did not capture that, a few simple steps and it’s perfect!
Just a few reminders:
1. Work with a copy of your photo and be sure to save the edited photo under a different name in case you want to go back to the orginal .
2. Moderation in all things. The slight, simple changes you make in photo editing are going to have the greatest overall impact and will keep your photos looking natural and “real”.
3. Have fun, the more you play around in Photoshop Elements the more comfortable you’ll feel. Your photos and layouts will thank you!
Tags: Digital Scrapbooking, Janell Nugent, Photo Editing, Photos, Photoshop Elements, PSE, Tutorial
Tutorial: How to use acrylic elements on your layouts
Janell Nugent here…Recently I have fallen in love AGAIN with acrylic elements (some designers call it clear epoxy) I call it fabulous! Acrylic elements already look amazing when placed on your digital layout, but when you experiment with them you can open a whole new world!
I will show you four different ways to use acrylic elements on your digital scrapbooking layouts and I will be working with Mary Ann Wise’s “Beach Glass Acrylic Accents”
The four different techniques use:
- Blending modes
- Paint Brushes
- Adding other elements
- Journaling under the acrylic embellishment
Using Blending Modes:
In Photoshop Elements 7.0 your blending modes are located on the right-hand side column in the layers section (as indicated by the red arrow below). There are several different types of blending modes and I picked 3 different ones to show you how each mode can create a unique look.
Here is an up close look at the different blends.
Using the paint brush tool:
You can open a new layer and drag it under the layer containing your acrylic element. Then make sure you have that new empty layer selected and choose the paint brush tool, select your brush type, color, and paint directly in that layer–it should appear under the acrylic embellishment. If you do not like the look sinply undo or use the eraser tool in the layer you created for painting.
In my example below I painted with yellow and orange using a faux finish brush with an opacity set to 50% . You can get several different looks by just changing the type of brush you are using and the color of paint. It’s fun to experiment and see the various results.
Adding other elements:
This one is my current favorite because it’s really fun and It feels like clustering with a twist! I simply took some glitter and a few of Mary Wise”s seashell embellishments and placed them under the acrylic word, then I used the eraser to erase everything that isn’t directly underneath an acrylic letter. ANY embellishment will work. You can try flowers, ribbons, etc.
Journaling under the acrylic:
This is subtle, but I love the impact. Look at my example below. I added one of Deena Rutter’s Kind Word’s and then wrote “enjoy the summertime” below. I love the added depth and added interest, this technique is wonderful for titles too.
I hope this article has inspired you to think outside the box the next time you add an acrylic element on your layout. If you get inspired tell us about it and upload your work to our gallery, we love to see what you create!
Here’s a finished layout using a few of the techniques I just demonstrated. Happy Scrapping!
Credits: Deen Rutter’s A Kind Word: what a month and vol. 1 and Audrey Neal Orange Crush mini kit, MaryAnn Wise’s Grungy Solids freebie. Bella Gypsy acrylic brackets.
Tags: Acrylic Digital Elements, Beach, Digital Scrapbooking, Janell Nugent
The Art of “Scraplifting”
Scraplifting is a beautiful thing! For those of you new to this term, it means to borrow or “lift” and idea from another scrapbooker. Whenever I feel like my mojo is running on the low side, I go into the gallery for inspiration. Sometimes all I have to do is look around for a few minutes and then go create something of my own design, other times I am awe struck by a gorgeous composition or a combination of perfect element that speaks to me. Scraplifting is perfectly acceptable…after all isn’t it one of the reasons why we view other layouts?
I would like to show you three different ways to use scraplifting as a design tool.
First, is the traditional scraplift, you see a layout you LOVE everything about it and you want one just like it for your own, you even go an purchase the exact same kit so you can have a carbon copy, only it’s yours!
I loved the FREE blog hop kit that the designers gave away right here at DHD. When the decorators posted their pages created from this kit, I just fell in love with Karen Funk’s “Love” layout.
I scraplifted this layout almost element for element. I did choose different patterned papers from the same kit and colored a few details slightly different. Another bonus of scraplifting: you know you are going to adore the finished layout before you begin. Here is mine. Can you pick out the subtle differences?
Another way to do a scraplift is simply for composition. The placement of photos and elements– think of it as using someone’s layout as a sketch for your own. I loved this classy design by Heather Guenther and chose to scraplift her layout “Passion is contagious”
Here is my scraplift of Heather’s layout:
What I love about scraplifting is that even though you seek out to “copy” a layout of another scrapper’s design, they always seem to come out a little bit different, sometimes a lot differently.
My last method for scraplifitng includes one of my favorite things….shopping! I love to see the “1 kit, 4 ways” blog articles. Usually after viewing the article I feel the need to shop and purchase the same kit the designers were working with and see what I can create. This uses the term scraplifiting very loosly, you can take any detail that inspires you and…CREATE!
Look at this amazing layout by Jenny Bingham titled “Goat Hugger”. I clicked on this layout in the gallery and read which products she used in her credits and saw Jen Allyson’s Vanity Fair Cerulean collection and I was sold!
Jenny’s layout inspired me to create this layout “Preschool Graduation” using the same kit by Jen Allyson.
Next time you find yourself in a scrapping rut…remember to give scraplifiting a try! There’s always the monthly scraplifting challenge here at DHD. Oh and one more tidbit, as a common courtesy you should always give credit to a fellow scrapper when you scraplift their layout, even if you were only inspired by a small portion. It’s the right thing to do, a compliment to share, and flattering to most scrappers that someone else was inspired by their work. Happy scraplifiting!
A few of the kits used to create the layouts in this article:
Tags: Inspiration, Janell Nugent, Scrapbook Layouts, Scraplifting
Tutorial: How to make a Hybrid Chipboard Album
Chipboard albums are a wonderful way to display some of your digital scrapbooking creations. I created this fun and beautiful hybrid chipboard album for my mother’s birthday using Jen Allyson’s Vanity Fair Persimmon Papers , Persimmon Solids, and a few other goodies from the Design House Digital shop.
I will walk you through the steps I took to make my album. You can use a pre-made album template or you can scan one of your raw chipboard album pages to get the exact shape and make a template of your own. I created my pages, added journaling, and printed the 6×6 pages out.
I then cut out the album pages with scissors. I wasn’t too concerned with cutting them out perfectly, because I knew that I would be inking some of the edges later on and the ink would hide any imperfections in my cutting abilities.
After cutting around the edges of the bracket shape I laid them out in the order I wanted them to be in the completed album. In some chipboard albums the pages are designed to all fall in the same direction, or you can choose to place them back to back as I have done.
I then traced the circle where the hole would be (using a chipboard page as my guide) that would bind the album together with a jump ring. Using an sharp craft knife I cut out a hole in each corner. Next I used Liquitex Gel in matte finish to adhere, protect, and seal my pages to the raw chipboard. I love using Liquitex gel on my hybrid and altered art projects, it goes on white and dries clear, this product also leaves the brush strokes when it is dried–I love the added texture. Some people prefer to use modpodge or spray sealers, or gel in a glossy finish. It’s all personal preference. You can find these products at any large craft store or sometimes in art/craft areas of your local box store.
I took a paint brush and covered the chipboard with gel and then placed my scrapbook page on the chipboard and smoothed out any air bubbles that might have sneaked inside. Allow page to dry then place a coat of gel on top of your scrapbook page.
Once all of my pages were dry, I embellished them and inked the edges. I used a variety of products including, ribbon, buttons, epoxy stickers, paper flowers, chipboard alphabet stickers, and ric rac. You can use whatever type of glue you prefer to attach your embellishments to your album. I love glue dots.
This project was exciting to make and I completed it over the course of three days working a little here and a little there. It was my first chipboard album ever and I have to say that it was much easier than I thought. The most time consuming step was drying. I hope you enjoyed following this tutorial and feel inspired to try a hybrid album of your own. Here are some pictures of the finished album.
Other Design House Digital projects used in my album: Jen Allyson’s Design 365 March Album templates, Real Simple Clean Frames, Audrey Neal’s Lovestruck Elements and Word Art. I also used Citrus Splash elements and bracket album templates by CG Essentials .
Tags: Chipboard Crafts, Hybrid Project, Janell Nugent, Mother's Day, Photo Album
